We did lockdown so let’s try forever, say couples as engagement ring sales soar

ENGAGEMENT ring sales have risen because people think “if they can get through lockdown they will get through anything”, a jeweller has said.

When asked in March at a Downing Street press conference about the plight of couples who do not live together during lockdown, Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, said they could “test the strength of their relationship” by moving in together.

It seems many did just that – and passed with flying colours.

Anna Blackburn, the managing director of Beaverbrooks, the jewellery chain, said the firm had seen a boost in sales of diamond rings, as couples were leaving lockdown with a new resolution to tie the knot.

Spending on luxury jewellery increased by 11 per cent in July compared with last year, according to e-commerce specialists Bloomreach, while diamonds have also proved popular.

Independent store Jewellery by Lora Leedham, in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, estimated it had seen a 30 per cent increase in sales of the precious stones, while the Diamonds Factory said sales of rings had increased by 73 per cent between May and June and were up 15 per cent year on year.

Ms Blackburn told Today on BBC Radio 4: “Weddings have been delayed, for some people multiple times, but what we are starting to see coming out of lockdown is an uplift in diamond sales which is quite interesting. There

120pc

The increase in sales of engagement rings compared with this time last year at Prestige Pawnbrokers

seem to be more proposals coming out of lockdown.

“Maybe if you can make it through lockdown you can make it through anything.”

Prestige Pawnbrokers said sales of engagement rings had more than doubled compared with last year, growing by 120 per cent.

Jewellers William May said sales had grown by 111 per cent since lockdown started when compared with last year, and were up 75 per cent for the period since restrictions were lifted.

Beaverbrooks said diamond sales were up 3.5 per cent in the past four weeks compared with last year.

Chana Baram, a retail expert at analysts Mintel, said: “During lockdown there was a real nervousness in the sector, particularly among small independents that don’t trade online.

“But an upside has been that people have tried out living together and it has been a bit of a make-or-break period.

“A lot of people might be thinking: ‘Life’s too short, let’s go for it.’”

However, the rise in popularity of diamonds has also attracted another kind of customer, according to jewellers: investors.

Lora Leedham, of the eponymous store, said: “There is definitely something going on, but mainly at the higher end of the diamond market. People are buying investment pieces. A couple of new clients who don’t want pieces made yet just want the stones to put under their mattresses.”

Somewhere amid the flying coronavirus droplets, love is in the air. If the rise in engagement ring sales reported by a number of jewellers is to be believed, it appears that couples who survived the pressure of living through lockdown together are ready for the next step. As any geologist will tell you, diamonds are formed under pressure; sometimes they even come ready polished on a gold band with a side order of champagne. An engagement, though, is only half the job done. Strict rules on weddings and receptions are still in place. Venues for next summer are already struggling to fit in both new bookings and celebrations postponed from this year. Having made it through lockdown, these challenges will be a doddle for the newly affianced – but proper weddings cannot return soon enough.